I was on my usual hike when I ran into Robbie. I hadn’t seen Robbie for over a month! He was hanging out next to the creek. I couldn’t believe anyone was there. He hugged me so tightly that I could hear crackling noises from my bones.

He said that he drove up to my neighborhood so that he could see me. Robbie figured I would be next to the creek. It’s my favorite hang out spot after the rains. It only seems to rain a few times a year and I like to take advantage of the streams it produces near my house.

We sat next to the creek and talked about college. I told him that I planned on applying to UCLA, Occidental College and Pepperdine University. I don’t want to go too far from home. I want to stay close to my mom, especially after everything she’s gone through.

Robbie promised to take me to Malibu this weekend. He’s going to have his dad run it by my mom. I hope she says it’s ok. I really need a break. I think that the next time he stops by I will take him to the cave that I discovered a couple of days ago.

*Katrina is a fictional character in The Diamond Guardians by Talin Mari, to be released. All entries for Katrina’s Diary are the property of the author, Talin Mari. Events in the diary have fictionally occurred a year prior to the events depicted in the young adult fantasy fiction book, The Diamond Guardians by Talin Mari. Twitter @TalinMariWriter, www.talinmari.com, www.talinmariblogs.com, Facebook Fan Page: Talin Mari – Writer.

Tweet… tweet… tweet…. We have become so accustomed to the incoming noises of social media notifications. Silence has become obsolete with the expansion of the technological social venues. It has become hard to leave the house without a smart phone. Very few people in first world countries do not possess this product that many of us deem as being inseparable with our daily lives.

There was a time when going outside and playing with the neighbors was a frequent activity. Nowadays, texting and sending social media messages have replaced this archaic activity. How many people find it hard not to have a normal meal in a restaurant without checking their phones? It’s like having chocolate in front of you and being told not to eat it! The temptation is too great to resist….

Yes, social media has become our chocolate. The sprinkles on our chocolate are the likes or favorites. The marshmallows and nuts are the shares and retweets. And the emoji’s in emails and texts change the flavor of the chocolate from dark to milk chocolate. How can anyone resist the temptation?

We are always reminded that sometimes too much of something may not be the best thing for us – moderation, right? It can be hard to put aside the chocolate that makes us salivate, but sometimes it has to be done. After all, imagine going on a date and not learning anything about your date because he or she is constantly texting. I suppose, moderation is best, even though it’s done begrudgingly….